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mwoodj t1_irq0ikd wrote

Reply to comment by ignost in Two Legends Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd at New York Comic Con by digitalmascot

In actuality it was more likely that his medication caused the movement seen during the interview. Parkinson’s actually causes rigidity as opposed to the dramatic involuntary movements that people sometimes associated with the condition. The medication improves movement but also causes excess movement as well as tardive dyskinesia which are involuntary movements and tics. It’s all degrees of risk vs. reward when deciding if a medication is worth taking. The whole controversy was based on a misunderstanding of the disease and the effects of the medications.

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quadriplegic_cheetah t1_irq5mw4 wrote

Wait so the actual movements made by people with Parkinson’s are the result of the medication itself?

That’s interesting. Happy to learn this.

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mwoodj t1_irq6h79 wrote

Here is a short video on the subject of l-dopa induced dyskinesia: https://youtu.be/bwg7W7sJdHI

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quadriplegic_cheetah t1_irq7c4k wrote

Thanks! I actually have a degree in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and I’m embarrassed to admit I know very very little about Parkinson’s disease. A lot of my studies were focused on cognition and memory as opposed to neurodegenerative disease.

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relator_fabula t1_irqcrw8 wrote

The embarrassing thing would be if you couldn't admit to knowing very little about something.

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Peeche94 t1_irr0kyk wrote

Yeah, so many issues in the world are because people don't accept they don't fully know something or admit that they're wrong

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keepyeepy t1_is0ulvl wrote

Thank you for this, it was really interesting!

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zuron54 t1_irqyy0c wrote

Yes and no. Parkinson's still causes a tremor, rigidity, slowing/shuffling gait, and some other symptoms. Levodopa can cause the irregular movements like above in his trunk, head, arms, and mouth.

It's about balancing too much vs too little of the medication.

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